Defending DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller has accepted full responsibility for his part in a potentially championship damaging clash with Audi team mate Adrien Tambay at the Moscow Racewa🔴y.

The Audi-duo came together two-corners after the restart, which was triggered by the recovery of Timo Scheider's stricken RS5 on ꩵthe pits straight.

The Phoenix-man was due to pit just one-lap lat🔯er but locked his front tyres and helplessly slid into Tambay's Abt-machine, putting the pair out on the spot.

Rockenfeller was looking odds on to leave Russia🐈 with a decent, if not maximum haul of points, as the race looked to have tipped into his favour after the safety car came out and eradicat𝐆ed BMW's Maxime Martin's healthy lead.

But the German's title defence now hangs in the balance 35-points off Marco Wittmann's lead after his first retireme𒈔nt in 14 DTM races.

"I can only say one thing: th꧋at I'm incredibly sorry for Adrien (Tambay), Audi and my Phoenix team," said Rockenꦉfeller.

"It was clearlyꦐ my mistake and not intentional. Aftꦓer the re-start, I just wanted to drive behind him, because a lap later I would have had to pit for a tire change anyhow.

"Maybe my front wheels weren't waꦯrm enough. In any event, I'm surprised that they locked and I slipped into the rear end of Adrien's car. Just slightly - but that's enough to make somebody spin.

"To make things worse, we touched🔯 and the race was over for both of us. I ca🌱n only apologize to everybody involved in this."